The fifty-year-old male jumbo named Khun Pan had been working at the Chang Siam Park in Chonburi, eastern Thailand, giving rides to tourists until the Covid-19 pandemic hit the industry, with holidaymakers banned from visiting.
The starving elephant that was found ‘days from death’ after it was neglected at a Thai tourist camp closed by coronavirus. The elephant was found covered in cuts and sores with his bones protruding from his skin. Pictured: Khun Pan was hoisted up and attached to a tree after he was too weak to stand
Tragically, the elephant was left to starve – becoming so thin that his bones were protruding from his skin
Khun Pan was found covered in sores from where he had been laying on hard, dusty ground, while his long ivory tusks had started to weaken and crack. Pictured: Medics put solution on the sores to help heal them and protect them from infection
Shocked locals alerted vets after they saw the jumbo’s heartbreaking condition over the weekend.
Medics from an animal hospital in nearby Pattaya arrived at the Chang Siam Park on Saturday and found the elephant was too weak to stand on its own as it was just a few days from death
They had to hoist the elephant up with leather straps which was attached to a nearby tree to give it support and help it stand. The medics also gave an IV drip with saline solution to rehydrate the jumbo
Khun Pan’s owner, Lee Petchkla, 55, blamed the lack of tourists for the elephant’s condition. Pictured: The elephant was hoisted up by the tree to help it stand
A second outbreak of coronavirus cases in December and resulting lockdown had meant he could not afford pineapples or other sources of nutrition to feed to the emaciated jumbo.
Lee said: ‘I have 37 elephants at the camp and they’re all struggling. However, Khun Pan is the weakest elephant because of his old age.
The elephant’s owner said second outbreak of coronavirus cases in December and resulting lockdown had meant he could not afford pineapples or other sources of nutrition to feed to the emaciated jumbo. Pictured: The frail jumbo which was found with bones protuding from its body
Vets and kind locals tended to the elephant and fed him fresh food and gave him attention
‘The pandemic has meant there are no tourists and I don’t have any income to feed them. I don’t know what else to do.’
Lee, who also runs shows with monkeys in fancy dress riding bikes, said the elephants at the camp used to generate income from controversial shows – performing tricks for tourists and giving rides.
Vets and kind locals who arrived at the park on Saturday fed some much-needed bananas and sugarcane to the starving elephant
‘Elephants like this emaciated one are living a life of torment for Thailand’s ‘entertainment’ industry. The COVID-19 pandemic is a chance for any facility that exploits elephants and other animals for profit to reflect on what the future holds.
‘There is a growing recognition that elephant rides, forcing elephants to perform other ‘tricks’, and keeping them captive for profit is ethically indefensible.
Despite concerns for the elephant’s health, Khun Pan was allowed to stay at the park – and was still there today. Pictured: Locals feed the elephant bananas after he became a little stronger
The elephant was saved by medics after caring locals alerted them to the devastating condition of the elephant